


Just Dinner

by shutupheather



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Background Character Injury, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Getting Together, Heart Attacks, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:22:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28016163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutupheather/pseuds/shutupheather
Summary: So you want me to-”“Come with me to dinner?” Buck asked quickly. "...I just thought that out of everyone you know me the best and-”... “I’ll go. It’s just dinner.”ORBuck's parents are in town and want to have dinner with Buck. The only problem? He needs a date.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 309





	Just Dinner

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading :)
> 
> Buck's parents are only semi-assholes in this one, haha.
> 
> Comments/Kudos are always appreciated ❤️❤️

~Buck POV~

“Hey Eds! … Can I ask you a favor?”

This could either go really well or really…  _ not well _ . You see, Buck’s parents were coming into town to see Maddie and the baby. They had asked Buck if he’d wanted to grab dinner with them one night during their stay. He of course said yes. 

The only issue is, he forgot that he told them that he was in a very serious, committed relationship. That might not seem like a problem, but it is when it is a complete and utter lie. Buck only told them this so they would stop trying to set him up with random people. He could only go on so many coffee dates with aspiring actresses just trying to, quote, “ _ make it big in L.A.! _ ”

So here he was, a night before the scheduled dinner, scrambling to find someone to act as his long-term partner. All of his closest friends were either, already dating his sister  _ or _ in devoted marriages. That left him with only one real option left. Buck had to be honest with himself though, in his eyes, this was the best option to begin with.

“Depends… what is it?” Eddie asked, looking up from where he was stocking up the engine. A certain glint in his eye let Buck know that he would most likely oblige to whatever outlandish task he needed help with. 

“My parents are in town and want to have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

“And you need my help because…?” Eddie drew out, confusion painting his features. 

“I’m getting there… I may or may not have told them that I’ve been dating someone for several months… And they may or may not have asked me to bring them to dinner…” Buck said, wringing his hands with nerves. 

“But you’re not- oh.  _ Oh. ...Oh! _ So you want me to-”

“Come with me to dinner?” Buck asked quickly. “It’s cool if you don’t want to. It is a weird situation after all. I just thought that out of everyone you know me the best and-”

“Buck,” Eddie cut-off his rambling with a hand to his shoulder. “I’ll go. It’s just dinner.”

_ Just dinner. _ Something inside of Buck ached. The thought of this maybe becoming more than  _ just dinner, _ scratching the back of his brain. He would entertain those ideas later, right now this event would remain -

“Just dinner,” Buck reaffirmed, the smile etching onto his face was a little more forced than he would have liked. 

_ This could either go really well or really… not well,  _ Buck thought for the second time this morning. 

-

It was the night of and Buck had just picked Eddie up for the alleged double date with his parents. He was nervous. A million thoughts were currently racing through his head. Like if his parents would like Eddie half as much as he did. Or like how great Eddie looked in the maroon button-up and black slacks he was wearing. Or even how his hand gripped the steering wheel a little tighter in an effort to prevent himself from reaching across the center console and enveloping Eddie’s hand in his. 

“Just to be clear, your parents are cool with you bringing…” Eddie broke him out of his daze, making a gesture towards himself. “A guy as your date?”

Buck cast him a brief look, maintaining focus on the road. “Oh yeah… I mean I haven’t exactly introduced them to a  _ boyfriend _ before, but they’re very open-minded people… It should be fine!” Buck reassured with a quick smile in the direction of the man next to him. 

Eddie seemed to settle at that, though it couldn’t keep Buck from wondering why he seemed so on edge. After all, this was  _ just dinner _ , and he most likely would never have to interact with Buck’s parents again. Unless… No. No, Buck’s mind was playing tricks on him. Eddie couldn’t possibly… 

“You coming?” Eddie said, exiting the passenger side of the car, startling Buck out of his own head once again. He hadn’t even realized he pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, too lost in his own little fantasy. 

“Yep,” Buck mumbled in response. He smoothed out his blue dress shirt as he jumped out of his jeep. What happened next made Buck’s heart leap into his throat.

“Is this okay? Figured we should look the part,” Eddie said quietly, intertwining their hands as they walked closer to the entrance. 

“It’s perfect,” Buck replied, perhaps too honestly. “Let’s do this,” he added, along with a quick squeeze to the hand joined with his. 

-

The night was going great.

Okay… maybe not  _ great _ . But it was definitely better than Buck had anticipated. 

His parents were totally okay with his significant other being another guy. In fact, they greeted Eddie like he was an old friend of theirs. His dad and him were currently talking about their fondness for baseball. Or maybe they were talking about football. Buck wasn’t exactly paying attention, too busy dwelling on the fact that ever since they sat down, Eddie’s hand migrated from Buck’s own hand to his thigh. An action so simple, consumed Buck’s entire mind. He brought himself back to reality for a brief moment to place his order. Just as he was about to slip back into his affection coma, the real conversation began. 

“So, Eddie, what is it that you do for work?” Buck’s father began.

“I’m a firefighter at the 118 with Buck,” Eddie turned his gaze towards Buck, a smirk working its way onto his lips, giving his leg a squeeze. “That’s where we met actually.”

Eddie held his eye contact with Buck for a few more moments. Buck could feel him practically memorizing the shape of his irises, as if he were committing them to memory. He had never had someone look at him so intently before. This must be how all the girls taken out by Buck 1.0 felt. Having someone lend you a soft smile and full attention, like you're the only other person alive, is one of the best feelings Buck has ever felt. Call him crazy, but Buck could practically caress the love radiating off of his best friend right now. He’d have to explore that venture later.

His parents across the table were sharing their own exchange of glances. He couldn’t quite make out what they were trying to convey to one another. Their faces were caked with, what looked like, a concoction of confusion, pity, and… disgust? 

Eddie must be picking up on their weird behavior as well, as he cleared his throat before saying, “Is everything okay? Did we miss something…”

“No dear, everything’s fine!” Buck’s mom said, putting on her act of perfection. “It’s just… how do I say this…”

“Say what, Mom?” Buck asked, growing increasingly more concerned for what was about to come out of her mouth. 

“It’s just… your father and I don’t entirely  _ agree _ with your boys’... career paths, that’s all,” she finished, looking towards her husband for backup. 

“Firefighting is just so  _ reckless _ . And for what, you know? Saving a kitten from a tree? It’s just not practical,” Buck’s father said, with the confidence that he just made a winning argument. 

Buck was about to go off. He raised his finger in protest, about to launch himself into several minutes of lengthy explanation as to why his job meant the world to him. This wasn’t the first time someone tried to steer him in the direction of a different occupation. Firefighting fit him like a glove. He and his team saved lives every  _ single _ day, and he’d be damned if his parents were about to write their efforts off as unworthy. 

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak he was cut-off by a scream. 

“ _ Help _ ! Quick! Someone help!” a woman shrieked, a couple tables away. 

Eddie and Buck shot each other a quick glance, and as they realized no one else was going to step-up, they sprung into action. Leaving Buck’s parents behind, sputtering in disbelief. 

-

When they reached the table of the incident, they found a man doubled over with pain, grabbing at his chest through his shirt. He looked sweaty and uncomfortable, almost like he couldn’t breathe. The woman who screamed, stared at them with pleading eyes. Operating as if they were on a call, Eddie went to give the man a once over and Buck tried to get information from the woman. 

“Don’t worry ma’am, we’re trained first responders. We’re gonna take care of him. Now can you tell me what happened?” Buck cajoled, his professional voice coming out. 

“I-I don’t know. He- He was complaining of chest pain! … Oh, and-and that he felt dizzy and his arms hurt!” she stuttered.

Buck nodded along, taking in every piece of information. He and Eddie turned to each other at the same time, saying in unison, “Looks like a heart attack.” They then gave each other another nod, as if they were communicating telepathically their next steps of action. 

Buck turned to a group at a nearby table, “Can one of you call 9-1-1?” A man nodded, grabbing his phone. “Great, let the dispatcher know we have a currently stable patient that is experiencing symptoms of a heart attack and that we’ll probably need an ambulance for transport.”

He turned back to the woman, “Okay, ma’am, do you have any aspirin with you?”

She nodded, reaching blindly into her purse until she brandished a bottle of aspirin, handing it to Buck with a shaky hand. He gladly took it, now joining Eddie at the side of the shallow-breathed man.

The dynamic duo then went on to console the patient and keep tabs on his condition. After a few minutes, the ambulance arrived and paramedics were able to wheel the man safely away. Before following them out, the woman turned to them to offer her gratitude. 

“Thank you both so much. You’re a great pair, enjoy the rest of your date,” she said, turning to catch up with the gurney. 

“Good work, Diaz,” Buck said to his partner, nudging his shoulder as they walked back to their table. 

“Back at ya, Buckley,” Eddie replied, reaching up to plant a chaste kiss to Buck’s cheek.

If anyone saw the blush blossoming across Buck’s face or the butterflies fluttering within his stomach… no they didn’t. 

-

They resumed their meal like nothing had happened. For them, this was just a regular Tuesday. Nothing drastic had even happened, only a minor heart attack that was easily managed. However, Buck’s parents thought differently. They maintained their blubbering state of shock from when they first ran off to help the man for the duration of the meal. 

Just as they were finishing their food, a waiter approached their table. In tow was a rather stern looking woman, clad in business attire. 

“Hello, I’m with management here and we noticed how you offered your services to a man in distress earlier in the night. We would like to comp your dinner, as a thank you. Everything, on the house,” insisted the woman. 

“Oh, it’s okay. We’re first responders, we were simply doing our jobs,” Buck marveled, eager to rub in the fact that his career did, in fact, matter. 

“Sir, with all due respect, we already scrapped the bill. You two saved a life tonight and deserve, at least, a free meal. Thank you for serving our community,” she persisted, circling her way back to where she came from.

Before Buck could say more, Eddie interjected with a wave and a, “Thank you so much!”

The men turned back to face Buck’s parents. Buck was still feeling ornery from their comments from earlier so he said, “Well since it’s free, should we just get an entire chocolate cake for dessert? … Or would that be too  _ reckless _ ?”

Eddie, as his best friend, caught on quickly, adding, “It may be free because we just saved a man’s life, but… I just don’t think that much cake is  _ practical _ , that’s all.”

If Buck wasn’t already falling for Eddie, this solidified it for sure. Standing up for what you're passionate about, while simultaneously making fun of bothersome parents is actually kind of hot. And seeing his parents squirm with the discomfort of being proven wrong was a bonus. 

-

After they decided against dessert, the group called it a night. They were about to bid their goodbyes and go their separate ways when Buck’s mother decided to speak up for the first time in about an hour. 

“I think we owe you boys an apology. Seeing you two work in real time puts things into perspective a little bit… Don’t you think?” she said that last part with an elbow jab to her husband’s side. 

“Yes, yes. You guys are impressive, very level-headed. The people of Los Angeles are lucky to have you guys looking out for them,” his father said, sounding actually genuine. 

They then exchanged some farewell hugs. Buck’s mother of course pulled him close to urge him to call, text, and visit more. She even corralled Eddie into one of her bone-crushing embraces. 

“You seem like a good man Eddie,” Buck’s dad said, offering Eddie a handshake. He tightened his grip as he loosely threatened, “But if you do anything to hurt Evan…”

“I wouldn’t dream of it sir. I love your son too much to do that,” Eddie replied earnestly.

-

As Buck and Eddie walked back to the jeep, Buck couldn’t stop replaying what Eddie had just said, so nonchalantly, over and over again in his brain. 

“Did you mean what you said back there?” Buck questioned, too curious to wait on getting the answer later. 

Eddie stopped just short of the car, “So you heard that…” He looked down to his feet, suddenly losing the confidence he had when they first arrived at the restaurant. “I, uh, yeah… Yeah, I meant it,” his voice barely above a whisper. 

He looked up shyly, that familiar look of love reappearing. Now it was Buck’s turn to study the glowing pools of amber melting into honey. He’s never appreciated someone else’s eyes the way he is now. Whoever said that eyes were the window to the soul wasn’t kidding around. They reveal everlasting emotion. Everlasting love. The way they sparkled tonight, in this parking lot of all places, gave Buck a wave of courage. 

“Good… Because if not, it would have made doing this a lot more awkward,” Buck said.

Buck moved in closer, taking Eddie’s face in his hands, and drew him in for a soft press of their lips. It was quick, barely a peck, but Buck could feel his entire body come alive. It felt like everything in his life was made to lead up to this moment. He moved his head back to gauge Eddie’s reaction, to see if he was feeling as ethereal as Buck.

Before Buck could even consider moving his face more than an inch away from the man in front of him, he was pulled back in. As if a magnetic force was around them, the two men were pressed together again. This time there was more of a heat behind their kiss, their tongues dancing as one, eliciting soft moans from each of them. Their hands roaming, one in someone’s hair, another around a waist, one flush against a chest, another cupping a face. In this instant, nothing felt real. The space around them faded away, only their love existing in the darkness of the night. 

They parted after what felt like centuries, trading bashful grins. This was it. One of those times in a person’s life that will dictate everything that comes after. Nothing will be the same after what happened tonight, and Buck was completely okay with that. 

“Maybe we need to go out to dinner more often…” Eddie chortled, interlacing their fingers in order to prolong their physical connection.

“ _ Just  _ dinner?” Buck asked incredulously.

“Oh… this is so much more than  _ just dinner.  _ With you, I want dinner and everything in between,” Eddie admitted. 

  
Their lips found each other once more. And again when they finally entered the car. And another time as they parked in Eddie’s driveway. And one final time when Buck walked Eddie to his door. On his drive home, Buck took a second to reminisce. He had a great career and a great love. That’s when it hit him, tonight was never  _ just dinner.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr!!
> 
> @118hasmyback


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